Booth99

Given the recent chain shortage, I'm hesitant. There are lots of Dura Ace/XTR chains claiming to be Shimano parts on eBay for $25-40. Is this legit? How can I spot the fakes from the genuines?

My account is too new to post links, so you'll have to head over to eBay yourself and put this in the search box to see what I'm talking about:

jnbrown

I am in the same situation.
No they are not legit.
If they cost less than normal retail and not coming from a trusted source they are very likely fake.

veganbikes

If you actually have to ask, the answer is NO! Please don't buy fake parts or knockoffs or anything like that. If you want that product buy it if you just want to fake it then buy a legitimate product somewhere else that is real but maybe costs less or just save up a little.

Paul Barnard

I saw those when I was chain shopping. I am confident they are fake. The sellers don't have much history. It's an easy pass.

Yelbom15

My bike shop has to now buy 11 speed chains at cost to keep them in stock and then having to up that just to make a snug of profit. KMC 11-Speed chains are currently 99.00 dollars if that gives you any indication.

There’s other bike shops around me that will only sell you an 11 speed chain if they’re installing it on the bike right there and then.

Koyote

D/A chains have hollow pins, and the cheap chains on eBay clearly have solid pins. i.e., they are fake.

MarcusT

Can I ask what model of KMC? Because $99 is an awful lot for their X line

Sy Reene

Yeah, that's crazy. I've seen the "SL" versions get that high.
The basic no frills one though, this is realistic price: https://www.amazon.com/KMC-Unisexs-C...PB3?th=1&psc=1

easyupbug 

Those are very bad fakes, even the word Shimano is off the package. I did vendor evaluation in the PRC for a few years and can tell you there are much better fakes out there. I came to understand the Chinese have no problem with "Buyer Beware" and if they pull one over on you it is not a negative reflection on them just a failure on your part. Once a manufacturing run is over and the company like Shimano pulls their QA/QC engineers the Chinese company can use the manufacturing line with cheaper material and tooling to crank these out. That said, if they are selling an end run of Shimano manufacturing with Shimano quality materials and tooling you might luck out, in this case with the number of sellers and chains I would seriously doubt it.

Iride01 

Just go to the sites of online vendors that are actual bike shops or online vendors that only sell bike stuff. Not Amazon, Not eBay.

I regularly buy from:

Universal Cycles
Tree-Fort Bikes
JensonUSA
Bike Closet (not for chains)

Don't know what speed bike you are looking for chains, but there are 11 and 10 speed chains available at some of those places right now. Just not Shimano. If you want Shimano, then get on the waiting list with or subscribe for notification when back in stock.

I needed a 11 speed chain a little month ago and I too wanted just Shimano or KMC. I checked each of those sites daily and eventually one had them back in stock and I ordered it. The next day they showed out of stock again. So I got my chain just in time.

These online vendors and other similar are unlikely to buy from sources that can't be trusted. You can't say that for any on eBay, or Amazon, though it's likely most are honest.

Yelbom15

We’re carrying KMC X11. We also managed to get a huge batch of Shimano 11HG-X11.

Slowly but surely we’re coming back to normal.

VegasTriker

I can't be sure about the Shimano chains or 11 speed chains but have experience with buying KMC chains for 8, 9, and 10 speed recumbents where the chain length is more than twice as long as on a standard road bike. My local LBS wants an arm and a leg for three KMC X10.93 chains. I buy them online from a legitimate bike shop where they cut the chains from a bulk roll and sell it without the packaging. My last order was from Trailthis, a vendor on eBay. They have a sizable store in Mt. Horeb, WI and I can easily verify their presence here https://trailthis.com/. I've recommended them to other recumbent trike riders and never had any negative feedback. My suggestion is to pick one of the sellers who has a real bike shop as they are unlikely to sell fake products that would jeopardize the store reputation.

Ryan_M

I couldn't get anything to come up with the codes you provided so I couldn't see the actual packaging but based on the price I'd certainly say yes they are fake. I know there's also a lot floating around Ali that are not legit too. I did notice on all of those that the packaging look exactly identical to Shimano's with the exception there was no Shimano logo. I don't use ebay much but I know that Ali has dealt with every issue I've had (which is very few) quickly and decisively so long as you can show pics to plead your case. I suspect if something was discovered to be counterfeit they'd do the same but you have to read the fine print to see if they're just trying to fool you that it's legit or actually state it in their ad. Word to the wise I've noticed they will use the same part #'s as Shimano products but don't actually say anywhere it's actually Shimano. Gotta be on these things.

Having said that, I recently replaced a HG701 chain with a SRAM 1130 chain because it's a cheap substitute until the better Shimano chains are available again and I'm pleasantly surprised with it. I haven't liked any KMC chain I've used (worked perfectly fine but noisy) so I won't recommend them but I know there's a ton of peeps out there who prefer them so you can roll the dice on that one.

MarcusT

Maybe I'm missing something but $99 for X11 is not high, it's triple the MSRP

icemilkcoffee 

I just searched KMC X11 on Ebay and there are lots of listings for $27-$33
https://www.ebay.com/itm/KMC-X11-Str...-127632-2357-0

why would anyone pay $99?

Hiro11

Amazon has them for $30:
https://www.amazon.com/KMC-Unisexs-C...10226281&psc=1

The Shimano 11sp chains are indeed very expensive right now, but in my experience the KMCs work just as well, are just as reliable and are the same weight. I've read that Shimano chains are made by KMC, no idea if that's actually true..

Papa Ado

KMC here. There are more and more counterfeit chains in the market for all brands. We have started to monitor many major online marketplaces with Sentryc to find and put a stop to those selling counterfeit KMC products.

We recommend buying from a trusted retailer. And if the seller looks sketchy, the reviews are bad, and/or the price is too good to be true, it's probably a fake. Feel free to message me with any inquiries.

unterhausen

My understanding is that KMC is the most counterfeited brand of chains.

When I was shopping for drivetrains on alibaba, they would have no-name cassette, sensah derailleurs and shifters, and a KMC chain for a few $. It's so cheap they could admit they made it in their garage machine shop and nobody would care, but they have to say it's KMC.

easyupbug 

I agree $99 is too much but these are highly likely fake, I do not believe these are end runs or over runs. I looked at only two $27 listing, one of the people selling them has 2 total sales and also sells sexy garter belts, the other one had this posted on his ebay listing as to why the negative review:
"I was sold a counterfeit bicycle chain (manufacturer confirmed it is a fake). This is extremely dangerous, as I am a bike racer, and a broken chain during a sprint can result in serious injuries. The seller was cooperative in refunding most of the purchase price, but did now acknowledge that it is counterfeit. I believe that this seller will continue to sell counterfeit products to ebay customers."
Few cyclists actually sprint as in a race and many cyclists would have no idea of reasonable chain life and not know a premature failure from normal wear .

icemilkcoffee 

Well - here is one for $35:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/321918324038
Sold by an actual bike shop in Wisconsin.

Paul Barnard

I ordered from them recently and had a good experience.